Lynch, Allen, Sweetnam and O’Connor named as Ireland’s European Championship team

Ireland’s team for the Longines FEI European Show Jumping Championships has been announced.

The first championship team to be declared by Ireland’s new show jumping manager Rodrigo Pessoa will compete at Gothenburg in Sweden from August 23rd to 27th, 2017.

The four riders and horses are:

Bertram Allen with Hector Van D’Abdijhoeve Denis Lynch with All Star 5Cian O’Connor with Good LuckShane Sweetnam with Chaqui Z

Ireland’s reserve rider will be Mark McAuley with Miebello.

Pessoa commented on his hopes for the European championships, which take place every two years: “As of today, I think this is the best team that Ireland has to offer, and on paper has the potential to fight for a team medal and maybe an individual medal as well.

“Since the beginning of the year, we have tried to instill transparency and good communication with our group of riders. I hope the riders and owners all appreciate that. Now, for the next few weeks, our goal is to keep the horses healthy and to get ready for our first big championships together.”

Ireland’s fifth man for the European Championships, Mark McAuley

The Longines FEI European Show Jumping Championships take place at Gothenburg’s 27,000 seater Ullevi Stadium and begin on Wednesday August 23rd with the first individual competition.

This is followed by the first round of the team competition on Thursday 24th, before the European Championship team medals are decided after the second team round on Friday August 25th. The final individual medal competition takes place on Sunday August 27th.

Ireland last won the European team prize in 2001, when Kevin Babington, Jessica Kürten, Peter Charles and Dermott Lennon took the trophy.

The last individual medal at the championships was won for Ireland by Peter Charles, who claimed gold in 1995 at St. Gallen in Switzerland on La Ina.